Endovascular therapies such as embolic coils, stents, plugs, and the like are typically placed within the vasculature by use of a catheter. For example, embolic coils may be placed within a ruptured aneurysm to form an embolus within the aneurysm and occlude the flow of blood into aneurysm. Such endovascular therapies are pushed through the lumen of a catheter to the treatment location and deployed into the area to be treated.
Inserting a guiding catheter or delivery catheter system to a desired treatment site is the first step for modern forms of endovascular treatment, and one of the most important steps for treatment of defects in the neurovasculature. The size of the vasculature, especially around the treatment site, frequently makes accurate placement and reliable detachment of the therapy difficult. It is desirable to maximize both the flexibility of the distal end of the placement tool and the reliability of detaching the therapy.